Square hole above rear license plate?

Hello, 2021 Tacoma SR5. Anyone know what the hole is for that is above the rear license plate and below the lift gate? It is about 2 inches wide and 1 inch tall.

 

Spare tire access

 

Access hole for lowering your spare tire.

 

Thanks all!

 

I’m sure it’s not a first, but first time I’ve seen this one asked. Makes me feel young and vibrant.

 

Same.

 

Also, OP, I recommend you learn how to lower your spare from the comfort of your driveway/garage. Don't wait to figure it out when you're out off-roading or on the side of the freeway and its dark and rainy.

 

^

It’s in the Manual OP

 

+1. Nothing like lying on your back on the frozen pavement in the middle of a Wisconsin winter trying to wrestle with the spare when you're in a hurry.

 

And on older trucks, like mine, where I ran the wire for my aftermarket backup camera!

 

Welcome to TW, by the way!

 

Another LPT, use your passenger floor mat to lay on or put a knee on

 

What’s that

 

That method of carrying the spare tire under the truck is a bad idea, for a number of reasons. One of the first things I did when I got my new Tacoma was to move the spare to the bed of the truck. That's until I decide whether to get rid of the spare altogether. (That's based on 20 years of experience with my Ford Ranger.)